Loblaw Companies Limited (TSX: L) (“Loblaw”) announced its purchase of one million pounds of beef from CRSB Certified farms and ranches. As the first Canadian retailer to do so, Loblaw is reaffirming its commitment to sustainable sourcing and the Canadian beef industry.
Loblaw was a founding member of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) and has been a key contributor in developing standards to measure, set strategic goals and recognize sustainable practices that also reward Canadian beef producers for their on-going sustainability efforts at the farm level. The beef purchased was raised on Certified Sustainable farms and ranches that meet the sustainability standards set by the CRSB, and sourced using a mass balance system, whereby the beef sourced as CRSB Certified will be incorporated into Loblaw’s overall beef purchases.
“This is one of the many investments we have and will continue to make as we advance our commitments to a local and sustainable food future,” says Tonya Lagrasta, Senior Director, Corporate Social Responsibility at Loblaw. “Supporting solutions in Canada that contribute to the protection and preservation of nature and our shared biodiversity are critical and we are committed to engaging at all levels of the supply chain to drive greater transparency, traceability and sustainability.”
Already a global leader in sustainable beef production, lands used for Canadian beef production represent 44 million acres of grassland which store approximately 1.5 billion tonnes of carbon in Canada. The beef industry provides the largest proportion of wildlife habitat capacity within the agricultural landscape – 68% on only 1/3 of Canada’s agricultural land.1
“CRSB is excited to see a large grocery retailer like Loblaw, committed to working collaboratively with the beef industry, show their support for the sustainable practices in beef production, and sharing that story with Canadian consumers,” says Anne Wasko, Chair of the CRSB and rancher from Eastend SK. “Now more than ever, people are keen to know more about how their food is raised, and as a rancher myself, we appreciate the dedication of our partners in sharing the positive impact of Canadian beef as part of a sustainable food system.”
